Dracula Unsuspected Presence Of Women Essay

Presence of the Unsuspected New Woman in Dracula The world renowned Dracula, a novel of seductive vampires, deception, lust, gothic horror, and vengeful murder has a secret. The unsuspected presence of the new woman. Throughout history, the same generalizations and assumptions concerning women have remained intact. Society as a whole, until very recently has considered women of their own culture to be weak, submissive, docile, and bound by marriage. The idea of the new woman was birthed in the Victorian era, combating the old idealism of the repressed Victorian woman. Although the Victorian age is known for strict gender roles and limited sexual expression, Bram Stoker’s Dracula subtly introduces the developing idea of the new woman, free …show more content…
As the hunt for Dracula, the ill-fated villain of the novel ensues, Mina proves to be an invaluable asset to the team of men who are seeking to destroy Count Dracula. Ms. Harker possesses the qualities of a New Woman by aiding in the process of Dracula’s capture. She logically determines where he is going as he tries to evade them, and how to intercept him. Mr. Healy, a literary writer says, “Mina also uses her logical mind to help anticipate Dracula's movements, guessing that he will head up the River Sereth to Castle Dracula. She and Van Helsing take a coach to the castle while the others follow the river's course. Although she falls more and more under the vampire's spell as they approach the castle, Mina is able to hold out until Dracula's death finally frees her” (Healy). Mina’s effective use of reasoning skills, and independent thinking as exemplified in this quote are what set her apart as a New Woman. Her productive actions would generally have been considered to be a male characteristic, because the Victorian woman of the time was considered submissive and quit Mina bravely takes it upon herself to figure out the location of her attacker, even with the amount of capable males surrounding her. It is also important to note that Mina endures the strain of Dracula’s mental connection, but stays strong fighting through the difficulty until he is killed. It seems to be a recurring theme among literary analysts that Mina is the definition of the perfect, submissive, and loyal wife, adhering to Victorian societal standards. Her naturally loyal nature and that she is so committed to her partner, labels her as a good Victorian woman, but she has an ulterior motive for supporting Jonathan. Love. As Mina stays at home to work and keep real life in order while